Tag Archives: polling places

The Voting Empowerment Act

5 Ways to Defend Voting Rights this Election - Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

To: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

From: The HollywoodBowles

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

First, an admission. I freelanced for another. I wrote a column Friday calling for the Quarter-Million Campaign, but sent it to the Lincoln Project instead. They just do commercials better. I stand by my decision.

But as an olive branch, I’d like to offer you something better. It’s called The Voting Empowerment Act, and I think it would serve your party well and, more importantly, the people.

Is voting a right or a privilege? (2 letters)

What’s great about the VEA is that it works regardless of next week’s election. In fact, it may even work more effectively in the case of defeat, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The VEA is simple. It would mandate that every county in America establish a minimum of TWO polling places. You could get downright aspirational in higher goals: a 10% increase in every county; a low-income mandate; county-wide voter initiatives, etc. But a seismic first step, as you know, would be requiring just two polling places per county.

Live Updates: We're Tracking The Vote And Voting Problems | FiveThirtyEight

There are really no need for statistics for the passage of this act, which I think is part of its beauty. All you need do is tell voters: “We all saw the horrific lines our citizens had to endure, just to be heard. In the middle of a pandemic, no less. It’s time we follow the Founders’ spirit of law, not just the letter of it.”

Long lines at Baltimore voting centers as many opt to cast ballots in person - Baltimore Sun

As I said, the VEA works regardless of election outcome. If Democrats were to take power, what better first step, what better administrative introduction than to put power in the hands of the public? They largely align with your views anyway.

Should you lose, the VEA makes a great sword upon which to fall. You could propose the bill, whisk it through the House, and allow the GOP to suffocate it in a public execution. Just watch what happens should they choke out the Affordable Healthcare Act.

Don’t do it for the Party. Do it for the Republic.

I know it’s a lot to ask, bringing sanity to D.C, particularly now. And putting power in our hands may be fool’s folly. God knows we actBut hell, die nobly for a cause if you can’t live humbly for one, right Madame Speaker?

The HollywoodBowles

ps: Can you believe Giuliani dropped his drawers for Borat?!?